Setting Things Right
by 3seconds
Summary: The day after Sherlock returns from the dead, John pays a visit to Bart's without him. The day after that, John gets an unexpected visit from Mycroft. Two short missing scenes from The Empty Hearse.
1. Chapter 1 - Molly

Summary: The day after Sherlock returns from the dead, John pays a visit to Bart's without him. The day after that, John gets an unexpected visit from Mycroft.

Two missing scenes from The Empty Hearse, starting later in the day after Sherlock appears in Molly Hooper's locker room mirror.

* * *

 _ **Pathology Lab at Barts.**_ _Molly Hooper sits at a lab table, dissecting a liver and preparing to inspect a sample of it under a microscope. The lab door swings open to reveal John Watson. Molly looks up startled, then glances expectantly from John to the lab door and back, but John is alone._

MOLLY ( _nervously_ ): Oh, hello John.

JOHN ( _deliberately_ ): So, he's back then...

MOLLY: Right. Sherlock. Wonderful news. ( _Her tone is cheerful, but her expression says she's feeling anything but._ )

JOHN: Yes. Back. From the dead. ( _puts careful emphasis on "dead"._ )

 _Molly cringes, puts down her scalpel and pulls off her latex gloves, turning to face John directly._

MOLLY: I'm so sorry John. I tried. I tried to tell him what it would do to you...

JOHN ( _fuming_ ): Two years. Two years, Molly! And you knew. You knew the whole time.

 _Molly closes her eyes and her chin starts to quiver. She's clearly on the verge of tears._

MOLLY: I'm so sorry. I wanted to...

JOHN: You know the rub, Molly? I thought... ( _he pauses, swallows hard, fighting to keep control of his emotions_ ) ...I thought you were avoiding me because you were angry with me.

MOLLY ( _surprised_ ): Angry? Why would I be...

JOHN: Angry that I didn't stop him. I thought you blamed me, just like I blamed myself.

MOLLY ( _makes a little strangled noise_ ): Oh God, John.

 _She presses her fingers to her lips, a tear slides down her cheek._

MOLLY ( _crying_ ): I...I couldn't. I was so scared. I'm such a horrid liar...

JOHN ( _angrily_ ): Horrible. Liar. Yeah. Yet, he trusted you. YOU. I'm his, his...friend. He didn't trust me, but he trusted you. ( _John presses his lips together in a thin line, his jaw tight, his hands balled into fists_.)

MOLLY: He said you'd be in terrible danger. If anyone, even you...especially you...ever found out. He knew you'd go looking for him. I thought...He was trying to protect you. I shouldn't have let him convince me to lie to you. I know how cruel it was.

JOHN ( _understanding beginning to dawn_ ): ...but you trusted him, didn't you? ( _She nods and he continues in a calmer tone_ ) You trusted him enough to follow him...to do something you knew was wrong. And, you still do. You'd do anything for him, wouldn't you?

MOLLY: Wouldn't you?

 _John squeezes his eyes shut, scrubs a hand over his face._

MOLLY: Can you forgive him? And me?

JOHN: I don't know.

MOLLY: I won't ever lie to you again, I promise.

JOHN: No. Don't. That's not what I want from you.

MOLLY ( _confused_ ): What then? I want to set things right.

JOHN ( _slowly, deliberately_ ): Promise me you'll always help him if he needs it. Just like you did do. Because what he did was ( _swallows, searches for an adequate word and fails_ ) ...bad. But, I'm pretty sure that without you, he would really have died. I don't know if I can forgive what he, you...what you both did. But Molly, because you helped him, at least I have that chance.

MOLLY ( _softy_ ): You know I will. Always.

 _John meets her eyes, holding her gaze for a long moment. Then he nods, turns on his heels and exits the lab. Molly stares after him._

* * *

Author's Note: John and Molly have so little actual interaction on the show, but I really like the idea that they really get each other because they both care so strongly for Sherlock, like they're two sides of the same coin. Hope you enjoyed! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2 - Mycroft

Summary: John accepts a ride and Mycroft apologizes (as much as Mycroft is capable of such a thing).

A second missing scene from The Empty Hearse. Takes place directly after Mary leaves John at the clinic. Thanks to Jack63kids for inspiring me to finish this second bit. :)

* * *

 ** _Exterior of the clinic where John works._** _It's early evening. The car park in front is deserted. John exits the building and turns to lock the doors. As he turns back a large black car pulls up and stops directly in front of him. A man in a suit steps out of the front of the car and holds the back door open. John looks at the man, then the open car door and shakes his head. The man gestures at the open door and raises his eye brows. John doesn't move._

MYCROFT (we hear his voice only from inside the car): Please, John. Don't make this...difficult.

 _John takes a deep breath and gets into the car. The man in the suit closes the door behind him, climbs back into the front and the car glides out of the car park and into traffic._

 ** _Cut to the interior of the car._** _John and Mycroft sit on opposite sides of the spacious back seat._

JOHN: Can't say I've missed this.

MYCROFT: I always rather enjoyed our little chats.

 _John snorts, but doesn't reply._

MYCROFT: It was my idea, you know.

 _John looks up and meets Mycroft's eyes, keeping his face carefully neutral._

MYCROFT: I was concerned for the safety of everyone involved. You included.

JOHN ( _looks away, disbelieving_ ): Concerned? For me? For...my safety?

MYCROFT: Well, yes. Of course. Jim Moriarty threatened to have you shot, or didn't you know?

JOHN ( _angrily_ ): You think Jim Moriarty was the biggest threat to my safety?

MYCROFT ( _eyebrows raised_ ): He was a psychopath with a death wish and team of assassins at his disposal. If you can think of a more dangerous person to have after you, please enlighten me.

 _John gives him a sideways look, one eyebrow raised._

MYCROFT ( _scoffs,_ _rolls his eyes_ ): You know what I mean!

JOHN ( _angrily_ ): Don't insult me Mycroft. It wasn't ever about my safety. Neither of you thought I could keep your bloody secret. What I don't understand is how you could actually believe that I would ever put Sherlock in danger?

MYCROFT: That wasn't it, John. Please believe me. We needed your reaction to be genuine. There were people watching your every move. Dismantling Moriarty's network was an arduous task, especially for one man working mostly...

JOHN ( _angrily interrupts_ ): For two years? Two bloody years!

 _Mycroft folds his hands into his lap, waiting._

JOHN ( _slowly, deliberately, pain clearly showing on his face_ ): Do you know how many nights I sat in my flat with a bottle, and...and...my gun?

MYCROFT ( _after a long pause_ ): He was held captive in Serbia, you know. He spent several weeks in a cell, being starved and tortured. They thought he was a government spy, which I suppose he was, in a manner of speaking. Very nearly got himself beaten to death at the end.

JOHN ( _swallows, anger dissipating at the thought of Sherlock being tortured_ ): But he escaped, obviously.

MYCROFT: Not without considerable assistance.

 _Both men sit in silence for a long moment. John watches the city slide by as dusk falls outside the windows._

MYCROFT: I am sorry, John. Had I anticipated the amount of pain you endured, I might have...intervened sooner.

 _John gives him an incredulous look._

MYCROFT: Despite what you think, I've never enjoyed watching either of you suffer. And, you look after him in ways I never could.

JOHN ( _scoffs_ ): He's been back less than forty eight hours and you're assuming it'll be just like old times. I don't think so. I've got someone else in my life now. Things are different.

MYCROFT: Yes.

 _JOHN looks momentarily confused, trying to figure out which statement Mycroft is agreeing with._

MYCROFT: You will forgive him, John.

JOHN: I don't know if I can. I don't know if I want to.

MYCROFT: It wasn't a question. Do you mind if I drop you off here?

 _John looks out and realizes they have just turned onto Baker Street._

JOHN: How did you... oh, never mind. Yes this fine.

 _The car slides to the curb just down from 221B and the man in the suit once again holds the door open._

MYCROFT: Good evening, John.

 _John climbs out and the car pulls away. He straightens his jacket and walks the short distance to the flat he used to call home, pausing outside the door. He doesn't notice the two men coming towards him until it's too late. They drug him and when he awakes, he's unable to move and his lungs are burning with petrol fumes and smoke. Thankfully, Sherlock and Mary arrive just in time to pull him to safety._


End file.
